A conceptual mapping for preservation metadata in digital repositories: proposing an articulation between PREMIS, Dublin Core, and DSpace

Abstract

Introduction: Digital preservation in institutional repositories requires metadata capable of ensuring the integrity, authenticity, and longevity of digital objects. In this context, standards such as Dublin Core—widely adopted in platforms like DSpace—show limitations regarding the documentation of technical and preservation aspects, thus justifying the use of complementary schemas such as PREMIS. Objective: This article aims to propose a conceptual mapping between the elements of the PREMIS Object entity and the metadata available in the DSpace repository, focusing on Dublin Core fields, the original bundle, and file header data. Methodology: This is a theoretical-applied study based on document analysis of the DSpace structure, the PREMIS Data Dictionary, and technical metadata extraction practices, with exclusive focus on the Object entity. Results: The study presents a correspondence table between PREMIS Object entity elements and available DSpace data sources, demonstrating the feasibility of structuring preservation metadata packages using existing infrastructure. Conclusion: The proposed mapping provides guidance for institutions interested in incrementally adopting PREMIS, showing that much of the required data is already available within DSpace, requiring only conceptual reorganization.